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A Nomogram for the Estimate

of Percent Body Fat from
Generalized Equations
a b
William B. Baun , Michele R. Baun & Peter B.
c
Raven
a
Department of Biology , North Texas State
University , Denton , TX , 76203 , USA
b
Physical Education Department , North Texas State
University , USA
c
Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine , Institute
of Human Fitness , Fort Worth, TX , 76107 , USA
Published online: 08 Feb 2013.

To cite this article: William B. Baun , Michele R. Baun & Peter B. Raven
(1981) A Nomogram for the Estimate of Percent Body Fat from Generalized
Equations, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 52:3, 380-384, DOI:
10.1080/02701367.1981.10607885

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02701367.1981.10607885

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 RESEARCH QUARTERLY
FOR EXERCISE AND SPORT
1981, Vol. 52, No.3, pp. 380-384

A Nomogram for the Estimate of -Percent Body Fat

from Generalized Equations

WILLIAM B. BAUN and MICHELE R. BAUN

North Texas State University
PETER B. RAVEN
Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Downloaded by [New York University] at 20:56 09 May 2015

Rsing awareness of the public to the deleterious effects of obesity and overweight
has stimulated an increasing emphasis on physical fitness; it is paramount that proper
health fitness techniques and information be provided to the public. College and
university settings offer the physical educator an opportunity to disseminate this
information through activity classes. Health fitness concepts and personal fitness
critiques can be easily integrated into most activity courses.
Recent investigation using inexpensive skin fold calipers (Humphrey & Falls, 1980;
Vlasek & Hartung, 1980) reported reliable results, thereby making skinfold mea-
surements affordable to departments of physical education. In the past calculation of
body composition from skin fold measurements has been delimited to population,
sex, and age specific equations for predicting body density (Katch & McArdle, 1973;
Katch & Michael, 1968; Pollock, Hickman, Kendrick, Jackson, Linnerud, & Dawson,
1976; Pollock, Laughridge, Coleman, Linnerud, & Jackson, 1975; Seltzer, Goldman,
& Mayer, 1965). Jackson and Pollock (1979) and Jackson, Pollock, and Ward (1980)
have recently provided generalized equations for both men and women of varying
age and body composition (see Table 1). These cross-validated equations provide the
practitioner with techniques that apply to populations of wide age ranges and body
composition. Although intended for use by the practitioner, these nonlinear quad-
ratic equations are difficult to use in a mass testing situation without the aid of a
computer or programmable calculator. Therefore, the present work derived a
nomogram for determining percent body fat based on the generalized equations for
age and sum of three skin fold values ofJackson and Pollock (1979) and Jackson et aI.

Key words: body composition, body fat, skinfolds, nomogram.

William Boyd Baun is a graduate student with the Department of Biology, North Texas State
University, Denton, TX 76203. Michele R. Baun is a former faculty member of the Physical
Education Department of North Texas State University. Peter B. Raven is associate professor of
physiology and director of research of the Institute of Human Fitness at Texas College of
Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth, TX 76107. Enlarged copies of the nomogram can be
obtained from Peter B. Raven, Department of Physiology, TCOM, Camp Bowie at Montgom-
ery, Fort Worth, TX 76107; (817) 735-2315.

380
 Baun, Baun and Raven 381

(1980). Several different equations using various combinations of anthropometric

variables with age were reported in the text of the two articles, but the inclusion of
additional anthropometric variables beyond the sum of three skinfolds only slightly
increased the reported multiple correlation. It is anticipated that this nomogram will
benefit practitioners interested in providing a rapid assessment of body composition
in adult males and females.

Table 1
Generalized equations for predicting body density based on age and sum of three sklnfold
values

Male BD = 1.1093800 - 0.0008267 (Xl) + 0.0000016 (Xl )2 - 0.0002574 (X3 )

R = .905
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SE = .oon
Female BD = 1.0994921 - 0.0009929 (X2 ) + 0.0000023 (X2) 2 - 0.0001392 (X3 )
R = .842
SE =.0086

Percent body fat = {(4.95/BD) - 4.50} 100

Note. Equations from Jackson and Pollock (1979), and Jackson, Pollock, and Ward (1980).
BD, body density
Xl. sum of chest, abdomen and thigh skinfolds, mm
X2 , sum of triceps, thigh and suprailium skinfolds, mm
X3 , age

Nomogram Development
The nomogram was developed using computer generated tables of percent body
fat which included the entire range of ages and sum of three skin fold values
reported by Jackson and Pollock (1979) and Jackson et aI. (1980). Ages ranged from
18-61 years and 18-55 years, while the sum of three skinfold values ranged from
14-118 mm and 16-126 mm, for males and females, respectively. In developing the
nomogram the main objective was to achieve simplicity while maintaining accuracy.
Therefore, the nomogram was limited to the two independent variables of age and
sum of three skinfolds. After constructing the age and skinfold parallel scales,
graduations on the percent body fat scales were determined by locating the intersec-
tion point of two separate pairs of age and skin fold values that yielded the same
percent fat value in the computer generated tables. This method of construction
eliminated the necessity of logarithmically graduated scales and simplified the
readability of the nomogram. (See Figure 1.)

Use of the Nomogram

The validity of the generalized equations depends on the accuracy of the skin fold
measurements. Behnke and Wilmore (1974) emphasized the importance of deter-
mining the precise location of each site. The specific anatomical landmarks describ-
ing the various skinfold sites have been previously published (Pollock, Schmidt, &
Jackson, 1980) and are summarized as follows:
 382 The Research Qoorterlyfor Exercise and Sport, Vol. 52, No.3

125
120

9
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60
oc::
55
3

..
(II

CIS
50
45
-
o
-t
:r
GI iil
>- 40 III

.5 o

-
:IIr
GI 35 :i'
01
ec o
30 s:
(II

25 •
'3
20 3
15

16
Chest, Abdomen, 14
d Thigh
12

9 Triceps. Thigh.
Suprailium
Percent
10

Body Fat

Figure 1-A nomogrem for the estimate of percent body flit for both male and female
populatlona from age and the sum of three sklnfolds. The text describes the age dellml-
tetions and the procedures for using the nomogrem.
 Baun, Baun and Raven 383

1. Chest: over the lateral border ofthe pectorales major,just medial to the axilla
(fold running diagonally between the shoulder and the opposite hip)
2. Triceps: midway between the acromion andolecranon processes on the pos-
terior aspect of the arm; the arm is held vertically and relaxed with the fold run-
ning parallel to the length of the arm
3. Suprailium: running along the crest of the iluim at the mid-axillary line
4. Abdominal: vertical fold adjacent to the umbilicus
5. Thigh: vertical fold on the anterior aspect ofthe thigh midway between the hip
and knee joints, with body weight placed on the opposite leg so that the thigh muscle
is in a relaxed state.
It is important to grasp the skinfold firmly and maintain a constant distance of 1 em
between the caliper and the thumb and finger holding the site. The measurement
should be read without delay to ensure that the subcutaneous adipose tissue is not
Downloaded by [New York University] at 20:56 09 May 2015

dispersed from the measurement position. Measurements are normally taken on the
right side of the body with the subject in the standing position. Each site should be
measured two to five times, and the average of the scores used for the final measure-
ment (Katch & Katch, 1980).
The three skinfold measures are added together and rounded to derive the
skinfold sum value. Percent fat is then estimated by placing a straightedge on the
nomogram that connects the individual's age (left axis) with the skinfold sum value
(right axis) and reading the value from the appropriate percent body fat scale with
respect to sex.
To illustrate the use of the nomogram, Table 2 outlines skinfold measurements
obtained on a 30 year old male. By use of the average skinfold sum value of 36 mm,
the value derived from the quadratic equation was 10.91 %; the nomogram yielded an
estimated percent body fat value of 11.0%.

Table 2
Sklnfold measurements and percent body fat values tor a male 30 years of age

measurement trials
Skinfold 2 3 4 5
Chest (mm) 8 9 8 10 9 8.8
Abdominal (mm) 16 17 15 16 18 16.2
Thigh (mm) 12 10 12 11 10 11.0
Sum of3 (mm) 36.0
Percent body fat value derived from equation 10.91 %
Percent body fat value estimated from nomogram 11.0%

Summary
A nomogram has been developed which willenable practitioners to provide a rapid
screening of body composition in adult males and females. This approach eliminates
the need for tedious calculations or programmable calculators and can be visibly
displayed for motivational purposes.
 384 The Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Vol. 52, No.3

References
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Humphrey, L. D., & Falls, H. F. Validity and reliability of three models of inexpensive skin fold
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Submitted: November 19, 1980

Accepted: March 4,1981